[amartignano]

Hi,

I've found a Sony SA1000 in a shop near my home, and I want to know the experience of the people who have/had those hadphones.

In particular: how do they compare with the SA5000?

thanks!

bye
Andrew

 

[amartignano]

Ok, I've found it: http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...ghlight=Sa1000

bye
Andrew

 

[Dr.Sade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amartignano Hi, I've found a Sony SA1000 in a shop near my home, and I want to know the experience of the people who have/had those hadphones. In particular: how do they compare with the SA5000? thanks! bye Andrew

By the way the new Sony V/Z 900HD (not V/Z900) uses the same drivers as the SA1000 but is closed and also goes out to 80KHz. Seems to be more efficient though. It's on audiocubes.com in the pro section.

 

[kin0kin]

the SA1k is thin and shrill, mid range is also tad muffled. the soundstage however is very wide. The sa5k's highs is just as thin and shrill, mid range has more resolution but there is a hint of coloration. bass on the sa5k, as far as I could recall, is even less than the SA1k. they didnt do it for me, i sold the sa1k a few fays after i got it, and i'd be happy to take the W1000 over the sa5k anytime if i wanted this kind of sound.

 

[amartignano]

I have it

Strange but good headphones: tons of detail and air, strange bass (here but light), and that detail of these wonderful new Sony's transducer.

Maybe a lot of technology and not enough "music", but it's good to listen to the Sa1000 in many tracks.

Anyway, they have to burn-in and maybe they will improve a bit...

bye and thanx all for the answers
Andrew

 

[Andrea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amartignano Strange but good headphones: tons of detail and air, strange bass (here but light), and that detail of these wonderful new Sony's transducer.

I don't get it - you call these "wonderful transducers" because they shove details in your ears, at the cost of the harmony inherent in music, that is, the very substance & beauty of it. Where the hell is the achievement?

 

[mysticaldodo]

There are listeners who place importance on detail over others, we all have different priorities in music listening. It may not be your fix but it's someones.

 

[Andrea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysticaldodo There are listeners who place importance on detail over others, we all have different priorities in music listening. It may not be your fix but it's someones.

Yes.

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrea I don't get it - you call these "wonderful transducers" because they shove details in your ears, at the cost of the harmony inherent in music, that is, the very substance & beauty of it. Where the hell is the achievement?

Considering that you're a Senn lover, I'm not surprised you feel this way. Some people prefer to have a cleaner, more detailed, and more coherent presentation. To some people, being able to actually hear everything sounds more musical. I personally believe that clearer sound is better sound (generalization).

The SA1000s and SA5000s are VERY close in sound. I'd recommend upgrading only if you can absolutely afford it without any pain at all. Everything sounded much more exciting with the SA5k's to me, with much more detail and a faster attack. I did not really notice any difference with bass. The cable IS thicker (Which is good), but it's a lot more microphonic. However, the construction is much better and is much closer to real metal (I like how the frame gets cold when the ambient temperature is also cold). The leather earpads are also a nice change (I was only used to the pleather on the Ax00 series, so I was expecting the worst. However, it feels really nice and isn't encumbering). The stand is nice as well

 

[amartignano]

I see Andrea's message only in the quote, he's permanently on my ignore list (the only one).

I see that he's trying to provoke (still?

it's a long story boys, a sort of persecution you don't know...

), misunderstanding what I write.

Anyway, for the other people around it, I try to use this for some considerations about the sound of the Sonys: the detail of the Sa1000 is not forced, is very clean and somewhat smooth. Not "in your face", but "in the air".
I've heard also the SA5000 on my setup and the Qualia on a "dream" setup driven by the Leben CS600 integrated amp (wonderful combo). Those headphones share many qualities (= similar transducer technologies).
I've always thought that the SA5k have one of the best transducer around "in potential", but not totally "damped" in some peaky mid-high range.

Otherways, SA5k and Qualia (and Sa1k too), have the detail and speed of an electrostatic headphone, with the dynamic of a dynamic (sorry for the repetition

). Not bad, not bad at all, don't you think?

That said....

The Sa1K has a strong and surprising capacity to bring out in a very easy and direct way also the minor nuances of the expression of the player. Listen to a good recorded solo acoustic/classical guitar with the SA1K: wonderful experience, maybe in this particular case one of the most "expressive" I've heard. And the very huge but also very focalized and proportioned soundstage add dimension and space in which instruments can express their changes and their evolving sounds.

But one have to admit that with a full orchestra or with an electri bass the body is not "realistic". So I think that these headphones have spent more time in the labs than on the ears of the engineers. But the lab's achievement is very very good and very important for further and future development.

Moreover, as I've said, there is Music in there, only presented in a very personal way. The SA1k seems to caress the sound, to expand them in the air without loosing focalization on any sound.

The sometime peaky mids and the "strange bass" is the cons of this presentation, but they have a very strong personality that made them overall very good headphones.

I think you can play in combos with them and I also think that coupled with a tube Leben CS600 and helped with the first step of very good "bass boost" implemented in that amp, the Sa1K can have a really wonderful sound.

bye
Andrew

 

[Andrea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure Considering that you're a Senn lover, I'm not surprised you feel this way. Some people prefer to have a cleaner, more detailed, and more coherent presentation. To some people, being able to actually hear everything sounds more musical. I personally believe that clearer sound is better sound (generalization).

Well, as always, it's relative. I think my Senns are about as clear as it gets before crossing the border with raw, cold analyticalness. I also like to hear everything in a recording, but - perhaps - in a more complex sense, meaning that I want to hear every single component of sound in (what I perceive to be) the most natural relation with the rest. And this includes frequency response linearity (micro- no less than macro- ), that's absolutely crucial since, ideally, I want to hear exactly what the artist had felt to be the most evocative interplay between every single instrument and vocal.

 

[Andrea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amartignano I see Andrea's message only in the quote, he's permanently on my ignore list (the only one). I see that he's trying to provoke (still? it's a long story boys, a sort of persecution you don't know... ), misunderstanding what I write.

Err, I think it's actually you whom continues not to get the ideas that I meant to convey.

 

[Dr.Sade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amartignano I see Andrea's message only in the quote, he's permanently on my ignore list (the only one). I see that he's trying to provoke (still? it's a long story boys, a sort of persecution you don't know... ), misunderstanding what I write. Anyway, for the other people around it, I try to use this for some considerations about the sound of the Sonys: the detail of the Sa1000 is not forced, is very clean and somewhat smooth. Not "in your face", but "in the air". I've heard also the SA5000 on my setup and the Qualia on a "dream" setup driven by the Leben CS600 integrated amp (wonderful combo). Those headphones share many qualities (= similar transducer technologies). I've always thought that the SA5k have one of the best transducer around "in potential", but not totally "damped" in some peaky mid-high range. Otherways, SA5k and Qualia (and Sa1k too), have the detail and speed of an electrostatic headphone, with the dynamic of a dynamic (sorry for the repetition ). Not bad, not bad at all, don't you think? That said.... The Sa1K has a strong and surprising capacity to bring out in a very easy and direct way also the minor nuances of the expression of the player. Listen to a good recorded solo acoustic/classical guitar with the SA1K: wonderful experience, maybe in this particular case one of the most "expressive" I've heard. And the very huge but also very focalized and proportioned soundstage add dimension and space in which instruments can express their changes and their evolving sounds. But one have to admit that with a full orchestra or with an electri bass the body is not "realistic". So I think that these headphones have spent more time in the labs than on the ears of the engineers. But the lab's achievement is very very good and very important for further and future development. Moreover, as I've said, there is Music in there, only presented in a very personal way. The SA1k seems to caress the sound, to expand them in the air without loosing focalization on any sound. The sometime peaky mids and the "strange bass" is the cons of these presentation, but they have a very strong personality that made them overall very good headphones. I think you can play in combos with them and I also think that coupled with a tube Leben CS600 and helped with the first step of very good "bass boost" implemented in that amp, the Sa1K can have a really wonderful sound. bye Andrew

The closed SONY V/Z 900HD uses the "same" drivers as the SA1000; so, does the V/Z 900HD sound like a SA1000 with BASS but less airy? The V/Z 900HD goes out to 80K Hz like the SA1000.

http://www.audiocubes.com/category/H...eadphones.html

 

[Raptor34]

Noisey ear cups!!! Plastic clunking sounds with every head movement! Very annoying. I drove them with a HR Total AirHead and good related equipment but they didn't do much for me. I listen mainly to classical and new age. I haven't used them since I bought a pair of Sennheiser HD 580's for $50 more than I paid for the Sony's ($100)

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amartignano I see Andrea's message only in the quote, he's permanently on my ignore list (the only one). I see that he's trying to provoke (still? it's a long story boys, a sort of persecution you don't know... ), misunderstanding what I write.

Huh? Does anybody know what's going on here? Does he have me mixed up with somebody else by chance? What did I "provoke" before?